Looking cool is just the tip of the iceberg for Mikaela Shiffrin, Travis Ganong and the rest of the USA Ski Team as they unveil their new racing suits at the World Championships.
Moreover, they want everyone to think about climate change.
The team’s predominantly blue and white costumes depict chunks of ice floating in the ocean. This is a concept based on a satellite image of icebergs breaking due to high temperatures. The suit was designed in collaboration with technical wear team sponsor Kappa and Protect Our Winters (POW), a non-profit organization.
The Americans will wear the costumes at the World Championships in Courchevel and Méribel, France, which will start on Monday with the Women’s Alpine Combined Race and end on February 19.
“While the racing suit does not solve climate change, it is a step towards continuing the conversation and demonstrating that US Ski & Snowboard and its athletes are committed to being part of the future,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of US. Skiing and snowboarding.
Global warming has become a cold and harsh reality in cross-country skiing, with moderate temperatures and a lack of snow, which has resulted in the postponement of several World Cup events this winter.
“I’m just worried about a future where there’s no more snow. And without snow, there is no more skiing,” said Ganong, who grew up skiing in Lake Tahoe, California. “So it’s very near and dear to me.”
What worries Ganong is the drastic change from year to year in some of the world’s most legendary venues.
“I mean, it’s just a little scary looking at how the limit [these events] it’s not even possible now,” said Ganong, who has been with the US team since 2006. “Places like Kitzbühel [Austria]there is such a rich history and so much money associated with this event that they go out of their way to make the event happen.
“But it also raises a very different question about sustainability: is this what we should be doing? … What message do we need to send to the public, to the world, about how our sport is adapting to this new one? the world we live in?
The suits have a POW patch on the neck and the organization’s logo in the form of a snowflake on the leg.
“By uniting, we can educate and mobilize our winter sports community to advance clean energy technologies and policies that reduce emissions as quickly as possible and protect the places we live and the lifestyles we love,” the executive said in a statement. director Mario Molina. , whose organization includes athletes, businessmen and scientists trying to protect places from climate change.
Ganong said a group of skiers is sending a letter to the International Ski Federation (FIS) with the hope that the governing body will take a tougher stance on sustainability and climate change.
“They need to be at the forefront of trying to adapt to this new world and also try to make it a better place,” Ganong said.
Source: www.espn.com
